Craft brewing is still a rising trend in the Iowa City area. From the establishment of the successful Backpocket Brewing in Coralville and Solon-based Big Grove Brewery, to the host of breweries-in-planning in Cedar Rapids, craft beer shows no signs of slowing. Kalona Brewing Co., a small craft brewery and restaurant headed by Lew Brewer and Red Avocado-veteran chef David Burt, opened in downtown Kalona this fall. With so many great craft breweries located less than the 30-minute drive to Kalona, I wanted to find out what makes Kalona Brewing Co. worth the trip.

ATMOSPHERE: Kalona Brewing Co. is situated in the perfect location for a small-town craft brewery: at a prominent intersection on the main thoroughfare on the edge of downtown. The space seems modest on the outside, with a small beer garden in the back, but it feels large on the inside, with plenty of comfortable dining and bar seating. The brewery was busy the Sunday night I dined, with large groups sampling beers to families out for a casual dinner. A glass wall displays the large, beautiful brewing tanks, and the kitchen is open, bringing diners closer to the source of their meal.

WHAT I ORDERED: To start, my dining group ordered the Beer-battered Kale ($7), a head of fried kale with a smoky chipotle dipping sauce, and the Iowa Cheese Plate ($12), which included Maytag Blue and Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze cheese, pecans, raisins, dried figs and sliced local apples with a sweet balsamic vinegar. The kale was intriguing, and seemed to be a natural transition from Burt’s healthy vegan fare at Red Avocado to bar food. The portion of kale was generous and well-battered, but the dish seemed to forget what good fried food should be: Easy to eat, bound to the batter, and filling. The kale was tough to tear apart, and exposed leaves shattered at the touch. The dip was far and away the highlight of the dish. The Iowa Cheese Plate, however, was perfect. Sufficient portions with a variety of tastes that complemented one another well, with each flavor holding its own uniqueness.

For my entree, I ordered the Italian Sausage pizza ($14), a thin-crust wood-fired pizza with tomato sauce, mild sausage, red onion, roasted green pepper, capers and fresh mozzarella, and the House Flight ($6), four small glasses of Mild Start, Kalona Light, Sucha Much and Black to the Future beers. The pizza was very tasty, with a thin crust that tasted almost like a pita. The sausage was the highlight of the pie, but sweet roasted green peppers and salty capers elevated the pizza’s sweet, salty and savory flavors. The portion is enough for one person, or perfect for a group sampling several pizzas. The House Flight offered Kalona Brewing Co.’s house beers, and some of my most and least favorite traits. Mild Start was much too mild for the group, with a muted, nutty taste and very little carbonation. Kalona Light offered a light, toasty, drinkable flavor. Sucha Much was the favorite of the group, with a bright flavor with citrus and floral notes. If you enjoy lighter beers or just getting into the beer world, I’d recommend this beer. Finally, Black to the Future was a thick, dark beer with an almost-leathery, extremely hoppy taste. Hopheads, this is your beer.

BOTTOM LINE: While many craft breweries closer to home offer better food and beer, Kalona Brewing Co. is worth the drive.